The Portland daily press., 1887-02-11
Inner Life of the Royal Family of CO.
rea-Fondness for Foreign Produc-
tions.
San Francisco Chronicle.

The Corean royal family is directly COM
posed of four MEMBERSHIP King, Queen
Crown Prince, and his wife. Their Males
ties are about IS years of age and are very
intelligent 1t is often remarked with Won
der and surprise how well posted the King
is on foreign inventions, social customs and
political relations. He is short in stature
and seems greatly to admire big men. His
face is very pleasing and bright He has a
kind look and manner and doubtless shrinks
from some of the penalties he has to infiict
Her Majesty is rather tall for a Corean la
dy, somewhat spare, and with very deter
mined mien. Her face in conversation is
pleasing, but one feels that it could soon
change If she were crossed. The Crown
Prince is boy of 10, and is as tall as his fa-
ther. He is at a time of life when not much
can be known as to his future DEVELOPMENT.
but he bids fair to fill out and become strong
of mind and body. The Queen is never seen
Dy any men outside of her own family and
the many eunnchs of the palace. They like
foreign things and will have only the best.
Ihey possess number of handsome gold
watches with finely jewelled works and
cases set with diamonds They use foreign
lamps altogether and eat quite a good pro-
portion OF foreign food. All Coreans are
fond OF champagne. They like liquors and
sweet wines also, but our beer is too bitter
for them. They like American cigarettes.
which, with cigars and champagne, are al
ways ON the table in the waiting room when
an audience is to be had. Some foreign play
ing cards have recently been purchased
tnougn II Is scarcely probable that his Maj
esty will succumb to the charm of the Sc
ductlve poker. Although the King has been
badly eeceiyed at times with foreigners he
still seems to believe in them, and is very
friendly to those whose duties bring them in
contact with him. Some of them have his
confidence to great degree. Her Majesty
seems to enjoy seeing foreign ladies. She
was very fond of the late lamented Mrs
Foote,. and seems quite warmly disposed
toward some of the ladies now resident at
the capital
Banquets are not infrequently given at the
palace in foreign style, and that style is well
sustained. AT these times the guests first
nave an audience. and when all have been
received the banquet proceeds Tie courses
are liyened by short theatricals. music and
irework. The royal hosts are usually Sc
creted In some convenient place, SO that they
may enjoy the scene without embarrassing
the guests by their presence. The table IS
aspsx REssasa By c St ab The hsaaS 0
are sent in by the royal family, to whom
many toasts are offered.
AS the business of the government is most
~ transacted at night, in order that the
~ ~naiooi3 llia9 Aui shiootnly tne next day, the
hours kept by the royal family are rather
irregular. They usually retire at about or
o CLOCK III the morning and get up some
time after noon, taking their meals accord
lngly. They have some fine American horses
from California; also some Shetland ponies.
which the Crown Prince intends to ride.
Inc grounds OF the palace are so large that
nearly every kind of sport NAV be in
dulged in within its walls. Even hunting is
good, for back of the palace inclosure proper
there is a. whole mountain side included
within walls, extending from the palace
wall to the city. In this wild place, which
tains, tigers and leopards are not infreouent-
ly seem. In fact, the cold weather and scar
city OF food often drive these animals within
the city walls, and an American naval Off
Ger recently took home a tiger skin taken
from tlger killed in the city on the south
mountain, where foreigners mostly 90 for